The present invention relates to copolyetheresteramides, derived from caprolactam and/or .epsilon.-aminocaproic acid and other polyamide-forming monomers as amide-forming components and equimolecular quantities of saturated aliphatic linear dicarboxylic acids, having 6 to 13 C-atoms, and poly(alkylene oxide diols) as etherester-forming components.
European Patent Application No. A 00 17 112 (Bayer) discloses copolyetheresteramides, containing 50 to 80% by weight of .epsilon.-caprolactam and further polyamide-forming monomers and equimolecular quantities of saturated aliphatic linear dicarboxylic acids and poly(alkylene oxide diols), incorporated by polycondensation. These copolyetheresteramides are said to find application as high quality raw materials for thermoplastic adhesives, the field of the shoe industry being the only particular intended use indicated. These copolyetheresteramides are unsuitable as hot-melt adhesives for textiles, because they are difficult to process into powders and, in particular, do not yield satisfactory adhesion values, particularly after dry cleaning and laundry treatment, which is an absolute pre-requisite for useful hot-melt adhesives for textiles.
Similarly, West German Patent Application No. A 2 523 991 discloses copolyetheresteramides, which, however, do not contain any caprolactam and/or .epsilon.-aminocaproic acid incorporated by condensation. The copolyetheresteramides described therein can be used for moulding and extrusion processing. There is no reference to the use as hot-melt adhesives, particularly for textiles. The copolyetheresteramides, described in this literature reference, are not suitable as hot-melt adhesives for textiles, because they do not yield adequate adhesion values at the hot-sealing temperatures to be applied in the glueing of textiles.
West German Patent Application No. A 29 49 064 discloses copolyetheresteramides, which are to be used as hot-melt adhesives for textiles. These, however, contain lauric lactam as the essential amide-forming component. The disadvantage of these products is that lauric lactam is a relatively inaccessible and, therefore, expensive polyamide-forming substance and that the preparation of the copolyamides has to be carried out at high pressures and temperatures. The copolyetheresteramides of West German Patent Application No. A 29 49 064 have the advantage, by comparison with the known polyamides, employed as hot-melt adhesives for textiles--compare, inter alia, West German Patent Application No. C 1 253 449)--that they produce a softer handle in the glued textiles.